Prep for free ascent - RNWF half dome

I'm heading to the Valley for 3 weeks with an awesome partner, and I'm terribly excited! The #1 climb on my to-do list is the regular northwest face of half dome, and I'd really like to do a free ascent, possibly in a day. I already have done, and am planning to continue, some preparation like the DNB of Middle, a Braille Book/NEB linkup, a Royal Arches/Crest Jewel Direct linkup, the East Buttress of El Cap, etc., and I plan on doing Steck-Salathe on this trip too. Are there others you can recommend?

I'm most concerned with the zig-zag pitches on the RNWF. Can you recommend any other climbs (single-pitch or whatever) that would be good practice for this?

Any important tips for a free ascent? Also, what's the ethic on falls? Restart climbing from a stance? From the beginning of the pitch?

Sick bro, good luck!

The RNWF is a fun free route, mostly easy scrambling with a few hard pitches scattered about. I think if you've prepped with plenty of Valley 5.9 and 5.10 long routes, you should have no trouble getting up it in a day.

While I don't think any pitch on it is harder than 11+/12-, it does throw a variety of different styles at you.
The higbee-hedral is a tricky stemming boulder problem, the first zz is a pin-scarred laybacking boulder problem, the third zz is enduro underclinging/laybacking, and the bolt ladder pitch is high-angled slab with disappointingly slopey holds.

Obviously the best style is onsight, but it's pretty easy to redpoint stuff if you fall. The higbee hedral you just fall back to the belay ledge anyways. The first zz you can lower back to a no hands rest below the crux. It's probably best to bear down and onsight the third zz. The slab, maybe lower back to the belay, pull the rope and redpoint.

Take a light rack, maybe doubles of fingers thru thin hands, and a single #3 camalot.

Git Sum!

ps- I have to recommend the best pitch on the route, which I don't think is even on the supertopo. It's a variation to the first chimney pitch:
Climb into the big chimney, go back til you see light, and exit out a body sized window into a bitchin 5.10 finger crack. Rejoins the route at the belay ledge via a short 5.10 face traverse.

I though of a few other good training routes:

Cookie Monster for thin laybacking (skip the bolts for added realism!)

Slab pitches at the base of Middle Cathedral (I think there's a 5.11 near Stoner's highway?) for the mirror polished slab climbing on little scoops and divots.

Start East butt of El Cap with The Moratorium for some enduro laybacking. Simul the east butt.

Simul up Higher Cathedral rock to The Crucifix to practice moving fast on easy ground (essential for giving yourself time to work pitches on the RNWF). The crux of the Crucifix is similar to, but maybe harder than, the first ZZ.

Have fun!

Thanks for the tips! I'm getting so excited!

Biggest suggestion is to go mid week.

We tried to do it free in a day on a weekend and were stuck behind a bunch of parties on the route.

Some people are nice but others can be hard to pass.

- Luke

 I am also trying to free it what routes do you think would be best for the slab pitch at the top and what kind of movements should I practice the most for slab 

Technically, the route does not go free anymore, because the 2015 rockfall removed a big flake and pitch 12 now has a bolt ladder, tension traverse, and rope toss.

But of course you could try to free all but pitch 12.